


The Lady of the Waves

by TeaRoses



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-11
Updated: 2013-01-11
Packaged: 2017-11-25 01:53:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/633836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaRoses/pseuds/TeaRoses
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katara hears two different stories from two very different people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Lady of the Waves

**Author's Note:**

> Written for springkink on LiveJournal for the prompt: stories/oral history - In the Water Tribes, some stories are meant only for women’s lips, and women’s ears. It was a great prompt and I hope I did justice to it.

In honor of the visitors from the Southern Water Tribe and especially the Avatar, the North held a feast. Katara tried to refuse to attend because of her anger at Pakku, but Sokka and Aang persuaded her that she should. Serving women provided everyone with seafood soup, roast fish, and enough sea vegetables and grains to keep Aang happy.

After everyone's stomach was filled, Pakku rose to speak. "Tell me, Sokka," he said, "In your tribe do they tell the stories of the Lady of the Waves, the guardian of the Water Tribes?"

"We had a few, but I think many of them were forgotten," replied Sokka.

"Then I will tell one," Pakku began, "that may be of special interest to one person here." He gave Katara a pointed look and ignored the glare she gave in return.

Once there was girl named Nomi who was the only child of her parents. Feeling sorry that they had never had a son, she attempted to live like one. She shaved her hair and wore only a ponytail, used a boomerang, and since she was a waterbender she tried to bend water and ice as the men did. Her tribe laughed at her, and the boys would not spar with her, but she refused to listen or to go learn healing as a girl should.

Her parents indulged her at first but as she grew into womanhood even they began to worry that they would never have real daughter to give them grandchildren. But still Nomi didn't listen, and insisted on going spear-fishing and bending ice. Then one day her mother became ill, and none of the healers seemed to be able to help her. Her father said to her "If only you had learned healing, perhaps you could have helped your mother."

His words made her realize what she had lost. That night Nomi walked to a parapet of the fortress and called out to the Lady of the Waves. She cut off her ponytail, and dropped that and her boomerang into the water. "Lady of the Waves," she said, "If you will heal my mother I will live as a real woman should."

The Lady appeared to her, floating over the water, and said, "Your request is granted." Her mother awoke the next day feeling well, and Nomi learned what a woman's destiny is."

The crowd murmured approval, but Katara blushed hotly, and even Sokka and Aang looked uncomfortable. She wanted to run from the room but was afraid that would only prove how "weak" she was. 

After the feast she hurried to her room and lay down on the bed. In a few moments a knock came. Thinking it was Sokka and Aang, she called, "Come in." A beautiful white-haired girl entered the room and Katara sat up in bed. She had seen her at the head table at the feast, but didn't know who she was.

"I'm Yue," the girl said, and sat down next to the bed. "I just thought maybe Pakku's story had upset you. I mean, I know what happened when you went to learn with him."

"Of course it did," said Katara. "I've been sitting here wondering if he made it up to bother me."

Yue shook her head. "I've heard that story before. The men tell it. But they don't know the real stories of the Lady of the Waves."

"Men don't?" asked Katara, looking at her curiously.

The girl twisted a lock of hair between her fingers as if she was nervous. "I can tell you one, if you like."

Katara nodded. "Please."

Yue cleared her throat. 

Once upon a time the Shark God decided to take the Moon Spirit as a wife. She would not agree to marry him, as he was mean-spirited and brutish, so he decided to capture her with a trick. He sent the illusion of a beautiful woman made of light, dancing on the waters over his undersea palace. When the Moon Spirit came down to watch the dancer, the Shark God came up to the surface and cast a net over her. She fought, but she was trapped, and he dragged her down into the depths.

So far underwater she had no power, and though she begged to be returned to her home in the sky, he only laughed at her. "Someday you will be used to me and love me," he said, "but love me or not, you will never leave this palace again."

The next night the light of the moon was dimmed and the power of the waterbenders was gone. The people could hear the Shark God laughing under the water, saying that now the moon was his. 

The benders could not help them now. The tribe sent the best of their warriors, with their spears and boomerangs, but the lion-sharks of the Shark God sent them home bitten and broken. Finally the people called on the Lady of the Waves.

The moon shines on the waves every night, and the Lady of the Waves saves up the moonlight so that she can bend water any time she wishes. First she made a rainstorm over the ocean, and the high waves crashed with a thunderous sound. Then she dove under the water. The lion-sharks came to fight her, but she threw daggers of ice to defeat them. The gates of the palace were closed to her, but she froze them until they cracked. The Shark God himself came to meet her and she demanded that he release the Moon Spirit.

When he refused, the Lady of the Waves fought him. He drew his swords but she escaped him each time. He stabbed at her with his spear but she was too fast for him to pierce her skin. Finally she dragged him out of the palace and into the air, holding him fast with ropes of water. He knew he had lost, and swore to trouble the Moon Spirit no longer.

"That was a beautiful story," said Katara.

Yue held up one hand. "There is one more part. The Lady of the Waves watched as the Moon Spirit ascended into the sky. They say that ever after the Lady and the Moon Spirit loved each other. That is why the water follows the moon when it pulls the tides."

After she said this, Yue kissed Katara gently on the lips. Katara had never been kissed before, by a girl or by anyone, and she sat there in confusion. Finally Yue put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Good night," before she left.

"Thank you for the story!" Katara called after her. 

The next day she told herself that Yue had only meant sisterly affection when she kissed her. But years later, when so much had come and gone, Katara would sit outside and watch the moon. She would remember those words about the Lady of the Waves and the Moon Spirit loving each other, and she would wish that she could have that night with Yue back again.


End file.
